Don’t Issue 2 Baseball Cards

It may seem like a good idea to issue two baseball cards for each player – one for their rookie year and one for their most recent season. But this can actually create more problems than it’s worth.

The Problem with Duplicate Cards

If you’re a baseball fan, you know that every year there are a handful of players who end up on multiple teams. As a result, these players have multiple baseball cards- one for each team. While it might seem like a fun idea to have a card for each team, it can actually create a problem.

The hobby is oversaturated

In the baseball card world, when a player is first up in the Majors there will inevitably be two (and sometimes three) different cards of that player issued in the same year. One from the flagship set, and one from an obstructionist product put out by another company that’s trying to make a profit off of the player’s potential future stardom. The same can be said of football, basketball, and any other sport that has multiple manufacturers issuing cards. It’s just how the hobby has always worked.

With so many new products being released each year, and with many of those products containing duplicate cards of players, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for collectors to complete sets. In some cases, it’s become impossible. For example, Topps issues roughly 50 different baseball card products each year. If each product contains 10% duplicate cards, that’s 5,000 duplicate cards per year! And that’s just from Topps. There are other companies issuing baseball cards as well. It’s no wonder collectors are having a tough time completing sets.

What’s more, many of these duplicate cards are inserted into products at random. So even if a collector is only interested in collecting a certain player, they still have a 1 in 100 chance of pulling a duped card of another player from that same pack! It’s getting to the point where some collectors are giving up on set building altogether because it’s just too frustrating and time-consuming.

The solution? Well, there really isn’t one. The only thing collectors can do is to be aware of which products contain dupes and try to avoid them. But even then, it’s getting harder and harder to stay ahead of the game.

It’s difficult to keep track of what you have

When you have duplicate baseball cards, it can be difficult to keep track of which ones you have and which ones you don’t. This can lead to frustration when trying to complete your collection. In addition, it can be costly to purchase duplicate cards, as you may end up paying more for a card that you already have.

They’re not worth much

Whether you have one duplicate card or an entire collection of them, they’re not going to be worth very much. In fact, most duplicates are only worth a few cents each, if that.

There are a few reasons for this. First, there’s simply not much demand for duplicate cards. With so many cards available, collectors generally only want one copy of each card. Second, because there’s not much demand, there’s also not much competition among sellers. This means that sellers can pretty much name their own price, and it’s usually a very low price.

If you’re hoping to make some money off of your duplicates, your best bet is to sell them in bulk to a local card shop or another collector. You probably won’t get rich quick this way, but at least you’ll be able to get rid of them and free up some space in your collection!

The Solution

Here’s the situation, You have 2 baseball cards. You want to trade one of them for a different baseball card. The problem is, the person you’re trading with only wants to trade even. They don’t want to give you a card for your 2 baseball cards. What do you do? The solution is simple, don’t issue 2 baseball cards.

Don’t buy duplicates

If your collection is getting a little out of control, it may be time to focus on quality, not quantity. Buying duplicates of the same card is a waste of money, and it takes up valuable storage space. You’re much better off spending your money on a few high-quality cards than buying a bunch of copies of the same thing.

Keep track of what you have

There are two ways to keep track of your collection: a notebook or a computer database. With either method, you’ll need to make three lists: one of what you have, one of what you need, and one of what you want.

To do this in a notebook, just number each page and list the baseball cards on that page. Make sure you also include any pertinent information, such as the card’s condition and value. Then, on a separate “want” and “need” list, write down which cards you’re still missing. You can update these lists as you acquire new cards or get rid of ones you no longer want.

If you’d rather use a computer database, there are many software programs designed specifically for managing collectibles. These programs usually have extensive databases of baseball cards (and other collectibles) that you can use to keep track of what you have and what you need. You can usually add your own photos and descriptions as well, which can be handy if you have duplicates of the same card.

Stick to a budget

When you try to become a big-time card collector, it is important to set a budget for yourself and to stick to it. It can be easy to get caught up in the moment and to overspend on cards, especially if you are bidding on items in an auction. It is important to remember that there are other collectors out there who are just as passionate about the hobby as you are, and who are willing to pay top dollar for the items that they want. If you find yourself in a situation where you are spending more money than you can afford, it is time to take a step back and reassess your budget. There are plenty of great cards out there that fit into any budget, so don’t be afraid to walk away from an auction or a purchase if the price becomes too steep.